Fairy-tale garden in the forest: Brünigpass – Brääch – Brienzwiler

One can only hope that the pilgrims at Brünig are not solely focused on their long-distance goal of Santiago de Compostela, but also keep an eye out for the beauty of the immediate surroundings. The first section of the Way of St. James in the Bernese Oberland leads through a magical landscape jewel. Its charms, however, do not necessarily reveal themselves during a quick pass-through.

From Brünigpass, the route first follows the pass road to Hotel Kulm. Here, the Via Jacobi, marked as national long-distance hiking route no. 4, branches off uphill and runs above the road as a gravel path towards Lake Brienz. While motorcycles buzz below, the view sweeps over the valley floor of the Hasli valley to the picturesque jagged Engelhörner peaks. Above the little village of Brünigen, you pass some holiday homes before entering the forest.

After a few hundred meters, you unexpectedly enter a completely different world. In the middle of the forest stretches a spacious hollow covered with lush, dense grass. Numerous dry stone walls and stone piles divide the meadows, provide habitat for countless small animals, and offer a charming sight. The road noise has disappeared; instead, you only hear lively birdsong. At Brääch, the forest clearing in the middle of this fairy-tale garden, a stone table with a bench invites you to rest. After climbing a few dozen meters, you reach the highest point of the hike in the Uochwald. On a pleasant zigzag path, it goes down through the forest to Brienzwiler.

Note(s)
The Brääch is one of the most beautiful cultural landscapes in the eastern Bernese Oberland. For this reason, the roughly five-hectare forest clearing was awarded the first-ever Cultural Landscape Prize of the Oberland-East region in 2005. 

Every year, the Oberland East region honors particularly beautiful and valuable cultural landscapes with the "Cultural Landscape Prize". Through support and image promotion by tourism, the award is intended to be a small incentive for farmers to continue sustainable management and thus contributes to the preservation of our beautiful nature.

Are you looking for more hikes?
Learn more about the various hiking opportunities in the Bernese Oberland.